There is one particular PRPC member who, at every meeting, loudly and frantically shouts her dire predictions of the future, should the Reflection Bay project be completed:
"The new units WON'T SELL, and will be filled with SECTION EIGHT RENTERS!!!!"
"Century Village will become a SLUM, for POOR PEOPLE, and CRIME WILL FOLLOW!!!!"
"It will be just like the BRONX after CO-OP CITY was built!!! THOSE PEOPLE will be living HERE!!!"
"Why would you not want to pay TWO CENTS PER DAY to protect OUR LIFESTYLE!!!"
Putting aside the hysterical and vaugely racist nature of these outbursts, this well-intentioned lady has a point.
The problem is, the future is already here.
According to Phyllis Richland, Century Villige is already crammed with desperately poor, cat food eatin' old people. She says so at every public opportunity.
The anticipated crime wave is already here, and the cause, as predicted, is inside the Village. Barbarian hordes are not scaling the five foot wall behind the Deli to steal our stamp collections and flat-screen TV's- they are driving through the gate with guest and resident passes. We are beginning to feed off ourselves.
If you are a resident with a five or ten year occupancy horizon, this is not a problem. You dump your unit and split for Boca. But if you like it here and want to stay, you have some work to do.
Our buildings are old- but they are very well designed and made. They are remarkably energy efficient, considering that they were built when energy was practically free. And, let's face it, the price is right. Our infrastructure is old too, but regular upgrades keep it all working.
The best feature of Century Village, the thing that keeps bringing in new people year in and year out, are the amenities. Like the buildings and infrastructure, upgrades are key. But our amenities also need to change with the tastes of the people that use them. When I was a kid, my Grandmother went up to the Kent Pool to do the laundry. It was a good idea in it's time. Laundry time was social time, and central laundries were easier for the developer to maintain. In the eighties, Homeowners wanted in-building laundries, and, building by building, the new amenity was provided.
WiFi is the new amenity that people want. If prospective residents ask about it, and all we can do is show them the handball court behind the Clubhouse, those people will move on. Then the only new people that will move here are the ones who have no other choice.
Then it will be time to split for Boca.
"The new units WON'T SELL, and will be filled with SECTION EIGHT RENTERS!!!!"
"Century Village will become a SLUM, for POOR PEOPLE, and CRIME WILL FOLLOW!!!!"
"It will be just like the BRONX after CO-OP CITY was built!!! THOSE PEOPLE will be living HERE!!!"
"Why would you not want to pay TWO CENTS PER DAY to protect OUR LIFESTYLE!!!"
Putting aside the hysterical and vaugely racist nature of these outbursts, this well-intentioned lady has a point.
The problem is, the future is already here.
According to Phyllis Richland, Century Villige is already crammed with desperately poor, cat food eatin' old people. She says so at every public opportunity.
The anticipated crime wave is already here, and the cause, as predicted, is inside the Village. Barbarian hordes are not scaling the five foot wall behind the Deli to steal our stamp collections and flat-screen TV's- they are driving through the gate with guest and resident passes. We are beginning to feed off ourselves.
If you are a resident with a five or ten year occupancy horizon, this is not a problem. You dump your unit and split for Boca. But if you like it here and want to stay, you have some work to do.
Our buildings are old- but they are very well designed and made. They are remarkably energy efficient, considering that they were built when energy was practically free. And, let's face it, the price is right. Our infrastructure is old too, but regular upgrades keep it all working.
The best feature of Century Village, the thing that keeps bringing in new people year in and year out, are the amenities. Like the buildings and infrastructure, upgrades are key. But our amenities also need to change with the tastes of the people that use them. When I was a kid, my Grandmother went up to the Kent Pool to do the laundry. It was a good idea in it's time. Laundry time was social time, and central laundries were easier for the developer to maintain. In the eighties, Homeowners wanted in-building laundries, and, building by building, the new amenity was provided.
WiFi is the new amenity that people want. If prospective residents ask about it, and all we can do is show them the handball court behind the Clubhouse, those people will move on. Then the only new people that will move here are the ones who have no other choice.
Then it will be time to split for Boca.
Hi Don,
ReplyDeleteSorry, I had to make the print a bit larger, I was having a hard time reading the tiny type.
Dave Israel
hi David,
ReplyDeletethanks. I was running out of nose to slide my glasses down to.
Remember the March elections. Vote out those who would keep the Village in the past.
ReplyDeleteBye Bye
ReplyDelete